Wichita eagle., 1887-06-08
RAMBLES ABOUT EGYPT.
From England to Egypt Especially for
the Eagle.

| AS l date this, the recollection occurs Il
my mind of an alleged letter published in
newspaper when was boy; from an Irisl
emigrant to his mother 1t was dated Cork
New York, August the same eighteen hun
| dred and FEBRUARY. That sounds ridicu
lous know, but there has been sights ant
sounds for more so to us since we landed
o the Emerald Isle, which if not ridicu
lous in broad sense, are truly Corkonial
a distinction possibly without difference
viewed from our stand point. We hav'
only been ashore twenty four hours, tot
brief time you will say to form correc
judgment of character and things, but tn,
mind of the American tourist you mus
know is omniverous with forty hors'
power digestive apparatus in constan
motion. Our opinion is alaws made up from
comparisons when practicable. Of course
we expect to see things in the old world Of
which there can be neither an original OF
even duplicate in America, nothing how
ever but what has been described time and
again by abler pens than mine 1 shall en-
deavor, at least, to be truthful, and not lei
the glamour incident to eastern travel to
influence or lend coloring to my state
ments.
l have been requested by many friends to
describe my ocean voyage in detail, and
which, perhaps, such an undertaking
might be readable. l think it better to
generalize on this subject, merely giving
one who has never set sail on any of the
large ocean steamships that now traverse
the seas general idea of my personal ex
perience as passenger, accompanied by
my wife and son, on the Cunard steamship
"Umbria." which sailed from New York
on Saturday, May 18th, with 500 saloon
passengers aboard and in the
following Saturday at o'clock in the
morning we descended from the palatial
"Umbria' to nameless tug, that would
disgrace Canadian harbor, worse yet
say South African inlet, and through a
driving rain, cold and cheerless, we struck
a foreign shore for the first time just as day
fairly broke. There was some sixty of us
that left the ::'Umbria" and stood the pelt-
ing of storm underneath our umbrellas,
cabinless and fireless in the gray dawn in
t he intervening distance of four miles from
the anchorage of the "Umbria' to heland-
ing at Queenstown. Nearly, if not quite
all were Americans. l infer this from the
fact that if it had been "Britishers" land
ing in America their curses would have
been loud and deep at such lack of &C
commodation. AS they appeared to be
Americans they stood and took
it without perceptible murmur Now
you can believe that or not, just as you
choose. wont vouch for its veracity.
Well, we landed at Queenstown, city of
say 49, 900 inhabitants, built on the side of
a high range of hills that slope down into
the bay of Cork. OF course we pushed our
way like lot Of cattle over the gang plank,
into the custom house, and went through
the form of having our baggage examined
l CHANGED to have a French dictionary in
my valice which the officer viewed side
ways, lengthways and upside down, finally
gave it up as bad job, and remarked that
he would let it pass this time. A fellow
tourist with two boxes of cigars "for his
own use,' was not so fortunate, haying
travelled before, he escaped contiscation in
a way peculiar to the officer, who of course,
like Poohbah, pocketed the ''insult."
Having planted my feet once more on
terra firma, and thus anticipated the
terminus of the ocean passage in this re-
cital. l will now go back and attempt
brief resume of the voyage. We had on
he whole, comfortable passage. For
about three days we sailed on summer
seas, then the winds shifted bringing fog
Tor brief spell, followed by sea that ran
nigh, and rocked our immense craft till it |
was veritably ''cradle of the deep"
Fortunately for us, we had fully gotten our
'ea legs before the rough weather set in
md | am proud to say, escaped the dis
comforts of sea sickness. The "Umbria, "
Is a safe, speedy and comfortable boat,
stands in high favor with sea going people. |
She is $50 feet long, of proportionate
breadth and depth, of eight thou
and tons burden, and sailing
'apacity of 20 miles an hour. Her officers
md crew number about 275 men. About
'verythiag that human ingenuity can con-
,eive for the comfort and convenience of
ravellers seems to have been provided In
ht equipment of this vessel The uphol-
tering and general finish of the inside will
compare favorably with the Pullman sleep
ng, palace and dining car. Each state
Dom has an electric bell and incandecent
lectric light. You can have meals and
liquid refreshments served in your rooms
without additional charge, and children in
rms can eat at first table. The steamer
hair was a revelation to me- Each passen-
,er purchases one before embarking. At
he end Of the voyage it is stored with
he company until the return trip.
'hese chairs are used exclusively on
he upper deck and in fine weather
ghen the sea is smooth as glass, and the
e mperature up in the seventies, know of
10 greater luxury on earth or on water, for
he matter Of that, than to recline on one
{ these chairs ard rocl-oG h.- c=o..1. |